Capital star Euan McIntosh’s level-headed reaction to being snubbed by Scotland for next week’s Eisenhower Trophy in Ireland has been praised by Scottish Golf’s chief executive.

The 49-year-old Turnhouse player was left out of the three-man side for the event at Carton House despite winning the Scottish Amateur Championship at Blairgowrie.

Scottish Golf chief exec Andrew McKinlay

He then backed up that notable success by also claiming both the Amateur Gold Medal at Leven and the North East District Open at Aboyne.

The decision to overlook McIntosh for the World Amateur Team Championship provoked widespread criticism, with former Scottish champion Michael Brooks branding it as a “shambles”.

But McIntosh himself took the disappoint on his chin, insisting he was happy to see Ryan Lumsden, Euan Walker and Sandy Scott, three players a lot younger than him, getting the chance to play in an event won by Scotland in Australia a decade ago.

McIntosh, who is preparing for a second crack as a professional when he becomes a senior next February, also said he was looking forward to playing instead in the Home Internationals in Wales in a fortnight’s time.

“I think Euan McIntosh has been really classy in his comments and how he has dealt with the situation,” Scottish Golf chief executive Andrew McKinlay told the Edinburgh Evening News. “It’s important to acknowledge that. He’s shown a real class about it.

“But I don’t think we can expect a chief executive to comment on team selection. It would be disrespectful to those who are much closer to it and have reasons for doing it. Neither England or Ireland have their national champion in the team. I think Wales do, but he is their No 1 ranked player.

“Some traditionalists have rumbled that the national champion should be in automatically. Team selection in all sports is difficult. You will always displease someone. Euan has been really classy and I really respect him.”

McKinlay was speaking during a visit to Gleneagles, where McIntosh saw his winning run come to an end in the Carrick Neill Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship.

Six shots behind at the halfway stage, he closed with rounds of 69 and 74 to finish joint-15th behind the runaway winner, Frenchman Victor Veyret.

Nurtai Saldarov, the 18-year-old from Kazakhstan who is a member at Craigielaw, finished just ahead of McIntosh in joint-13th.

“In general, it’s been a good week for me,” admitted Saldarov, who won the Stuart Cup as leading qualifier for the Lothians Championship at Luffness New earlier this month.